Forum Moderators: martinibuster
New Terms of Service for AdSense
1. Program Participation:
In the middle of this section, (collectively, "Ads"), related Google search queries, has been replaced with (such Google-served advertisements, collectively, "Ads"), related Google queries and/or Ad search box (collectively, "Links"),
2. Implementation and Operation of Ads and Search Results.
There are many changes in this section to reflect the new Ad Links, I won't specify all those changes where links has been added along side search and ad units.
The first line has a slight change (change in bold) You agree to comply with the specifications provided by Google from time to time
They have made it clearer that you cannot pre-populate search boxes you place on your site. Changes in bold:
Except for related Google queries, all search queries (including queries entered into an Ad search box) must originate from individual human end users inputting data directly into a Search Box (or Ad search box, as applicable) on Your Site(s).
Another slight change here (change in bold):
and Google will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide You with corresponding Search Results and/or Ads, as applicable and as available.
Then there is the long confused section regarding the fact that you cannot have an ad unit displaying ads identical to any other ad units. And I think it just got even more confusing. While the clause regarding "no Ad Unit shall contain any advertisement in common with any other Ad Unit." has been dropped, it has been replaced with the following:
In addition, You agree that while You may display more than one (1) Ad Unit on each Site Web page, You shall not display any Ad Unit on a page that contains Ads associated with another Google AdSense customer (e.g., Your Web hosting company), unless authorized to do so by Google or such other AdSense customer, if authorized.
So what does this mean? It means that "revenue sharing" AdSense sites are now against the terms, as would be displaying your own AdSense on a site where the hosting company is already showing their own AdSense (ie. such as a Tripod site). "Revenue sharing" is especially popular on forums, where the originating poster can have his/her AdSense displayed on the thread a certain percentage of the time. Now, you can only do this if you have received specific permission from Google AdSense to do so, otherwise, you will be violating the AdSense terms. I clarified this with Google, as well, as I wanted to make sure I understood this correctly.
The terms also now refers to any page using one of the AdSense services as a "Serviced Page", and the terms clarify you cannot run any non-Google contextual programs on any "Serviced Pages".
3. Communications Solely With Google.
Minor changes to reflect Ad links.
4. Parties' Responsibilities.
Minor changes to reflect Ad links.
5. Prohibited Uses
More minor changes to reflect ad links. They have also clarified what you cannot do to manipulate what a user gets when clicking an ad. Changes in bold:
(iii) frame, minimize, remove or otherwise inhibit the full and complete display of any Web page accessed by an end user
Some publishers have been getting sneakier when it comes to what the user experience is once a surfer clicks an ad, so this tightens up the terms in this regard.
Chat pages have now been added to the types of pages you cannot display ads on.
You shall not.... display any Ad(s) or Link(s) ... on any chat page.
And perhaps the most interesting change, this has been added:
You shall not... (viii) act in any way that violates any Program Policies posted on the Google Web Site, as may be revised from time to time, or any other agreement between You and Google (including without limitation the Google AdWords program terms), or engage in any action or practice that reflects poorly on Google or otherwise disparages or devalues Google’s reputation or goodwill.
So what would "engage" or "practice" cover? Would that include complaining about click fraud or low earnings in a forum? Or would it be reserved for those who publicly disparage Google in less-than-flattering terms to a newspaper? It will be interesting to see how this is interpreted as well as enforced.
They have also removed the bolded section in this clause, and the pursuit of all available civil or criminal remedies relating to fraud and other legal claims.
6. Termination; Cancellation.
More minor changes for ad links. Also, this has been added:
Subject to any third party agreements You may have with other Google customers (e.g., Your Web hosting company),
There are now clear instructions on how to cancel your AdSense account (before, it simply said to remove the javascript or programming from your sites).
You may terminate this Agreement with or without cause at any time by sending written notice of your desire to cancel Your participation in the Program to adsense-support@google.com. This Agreement will be deemed terminated within ten (10) business days of Google's receipt of Your notice.
7. Confidentiality
Google has loosened the terms of the confidentiality part of your agreement.
"However, You may accurately disclose the amount of Google’s gross payments to You pursuant to the Program.
This means, if I wanted to tell the world how much my AdSense check was last month, I could do it without violating the AdSense terms. So who wants to go first and tell us your check amount ;)
9. No Warranty
Minor changes for ad links.
15. Google Rights
A new section details what can/cannot be done by using AdSense to make a competing product:
You will not ... create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product through use of or access to the Program or proprietary information related thereto.
Also, they have clarified this clause (changes in bold)
You will not remove, obscure, or alter Google's copyright notice, Brand Features, or other proprietary rights notices affixed to or contained within any Google services, software, or documentation (including without limitation the display of Google’s Brand Features with Ads, Links, Search Boxes and/or Search Results, if applicable).
16. Information Rights
They have added information on the Google Privacy policy.
subject to the terms of the Google Privacy Policy (located at [google.com...] or such other URL as Google may provide from time to time)
Also, slight clarification on sharing information with third parties (change in bold).
Google may share non-personally-identifiable information about You, including Site-specific statistics and similar information collected by Google, with advertisers, business partners, sponsors, and other third parties.
17. Miscelaneous
This has been added:
The parties specifically exclude from application to the Agreement the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act.
I have no idea what this means, so hopefully someone more familiar with this international act will be able to clarify.
That is it for the AdSense Terms changes.
AdSense Program Policies:
Ad Placement
This has been added:
A single Ad Links unit may be placed on each Web site page, in addition to the ad units and search boxes specified above. Ad Links units are considered to be 'Google ads' for purposes of these program policies.
This clarifies that if you have multiple ad units on a page, you may only have one ad unit with ad links.
So, what else has changed?
Payments
These changes are ones AdSense publishers have been waiting for since the program launched. The payments section has now been moved into the "My Account" tab in your AdSense control panel.
Payments in your Home Country's Currency
They have introduced a program where you can have your AdSense payments converted to your home country's currency, so you will receive a check that you can cash much easier at a bank in your country. With publishers having to pay crazy banking fees to cash a US check, this change is most welcome. 43 countries are supported: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States.
New Payment Options
Publishers will also find different payment options available in their control panel.
Check - Standard Delivery *
Check - Secured Express Delivery ($30.00 Processing Fee) learn more **
BETA Electronic Funds Transfer learn more
Your reports won't track clicks made on the Ad Links topics. Only clicks on the Google ads linked from the Ad Links topics will be tracked. However, impressions are reported for each instance of the Ad Link unit as well as for each pageview of the resulting page that displays ads
"You agree not to disclose Google Confidential Information without Google's prior written consent. "Google Confidential Information" includes without limitation: (a) all Google software, technology, programming, specifications, materials, guidelines and documentation relating to the Program;"
According to the above we can't discuss guidelines and documentation relating to the program, and documention would include terms?
But, thanks all the same.
Thanks once again, as ever, for a fantastic summary on the new TOS, Jenstar.
I'm really happy to see Electronic Funds Transfer - if the Beta is successful this is going to make my life a lot easier.
So what does this mean? It means that "revenue sharing" AdSense sites are now against the terms, as would be displaying your own AdSense on a site where the hosting company is already showing their own AdSense (ie. such as a Tripod site). "Revenue sharing" is especially popular on forums, where the originating poster can have his/her AdSense displayed on the thread a certain percentage of the time.
What you're talking about is rotating AdSense units between different people. I don't think that's what the rule is about. What Google seems to be talking about is two (or more) AdSense units by different people displayed on the same page at the same time. You seem to read "site" where they actually say "page". Or do you have additional sources supporting your interpretation?
Other than that, great summary as usual!
I asked question 2 to Google, If I receive answer, I post it.
and thanks to Google for listening regarding direct deposit into bank accounts - will be interesting to see how this works out for me!
The cost for cashing a check is not the currency but the 'nationality' of the bank who wrote the check.
So a check sent to the UK in British Pounds Sterling will still attract a extortionate clearing charge?
Oh, thanks Jen :)
Within the EC, all banks must offer electronic transfers up to 10,000.- Euro at the same costs as national transfers. In most cases, this means they are free.
You shall not.... display any Ad(s) or Link(s) ... on any chat page.
By ‘Chat’ I am assuming that this refers to ‘Real Time’ sessions? Or are we talking about pages such as those displaying an article and allowing users to drop comments, etc?
Say I have I little search engine, my own.
Can I display google adsense on the my SERPs?
Whew ... now I can finally fill out my tax return. :-)
hahahaha
Say I have I little search engine, my own.
Can I display google adsense on the my SERPs?
Yes, this has been allowed for many months now.
Did anyone else notice that on the adsense login page, it now runs an ActiveX thing? And every page once logged in? Or is it just me? I won’t let it run till I know what it is, and it is indeed coming from (G).
What Google seems to be talking about is two (or more) AdSense units by different people displayed on the same page at the same time.
Great catch, bird (no pun intended). I was reading this the wrong way, too, until I read your post.
New terms and conditional reflexes.
See new terms, visit webmasterworld, read Jenstar post, go back and accept terms.
Thanks for this post and the several replies you have given to me previously.
You are very much appredciated here.
Good news, thanks Google
I love your work!
Thanks a lot:)
So, am I reading the new TOS correctly? Does this mean if there is a forum that is putting the users adsense code on 50% of the time, even with only one ad per page, that this is against the new TOS?
As, I think, bird explained, you can do that. You just can't have your code AND their code on the same PAGE at the same time.
The keyword is PAGE vs. SITE.
Would it be OK to alternately return Google AdSense ads on one viewing and some different ads on another viewing of that same URL?
It's an important question for two reasons. First, profit sharing between joint authors. Second, experimening with different advertising options to see which one pays the best. You really can't just run one set of ads one day, and a different set the next day, you want to interleave them so that it's a fair compare. Otherwise there are just too many differences one day to the next for you to ever know an increase from one was random luck, or because it was better.
What bird said is right- as long as the ads displayed on a page are from only one publisher, there shouldn't be any problems. That being said, rotating between different publishers' ads is ok as long as both publishers' ads don't appear on the same page at the same time.
So:
Would it be OK to alternately return Google AdSense ads on one viewing and some different ads on another viewing of that same URL?
Does this mean if there is a forum that is putting the users adsense code on 50% of the time, even with only one ad per page, that this is against the new TOS?
And I'd also like to thank Jenstar for yet another fabulous analysis of the updated TOS. Truly great work that's appreciated by everyone here. You're a star! :)
ASA
The cost for cashing a check is not the currency but the 'nationality' of the bank who wrote the check.So a check sent to the UK in British Pounds Sterling will still attract a extort donate clearing charge?
I spoke to barclays in the UK, they said there would be no charge for receiving the EFT and that the cheque might have to be paid in seperatly if it's a US bank and could take longer to clear but they didn't mention a fee.
They have made it clearer that you cannot pre-populate search boxes you place on your site. Changes in bold: Except for related Google queries, all search queries (including queries entered into an Ad search box) must originate from individual human end users inputting data directly into a Search Box (or Ad search box, as applicable) on Your Site(s).
Jenstar replied
Visit Thailand - some publishers would modify the search code so that the AdSense for search field would already have a search in it. Publishers would insert "high paying keyword" there, in hopes that people would just click search, instead of removing the keyword to put their own search in.
I then asked
thanks Jenstar does that mean if you have a page about X and make a link to internal search results (using your own SE not Google Search) about X so people can see more on that topic we cannot display ads on those results?
This is quite important as my own internal SE allows me to point users to topics on a similar issue or subject.
does that mean if you have a page about X and make a link to internal search results (using your own SE not Google Search) about X so people can see more on that topic we cannot display ads on those results?
If it's your own SE (or any non-Google search for that matter), there should be no problem at all with having direct links to search results and putting AdSense on these pages (so long as they comply with all other AdSense policies). To clarify, pubs can't put direct links to AdSense for search results.
ASA
It is too valuable a resource to viewers to stop the linking.
Thank you for your time and input.
